Signal.



E. L. STORER.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.10. 191?.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

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INVENTOR wrrnEssEs E. L. STORER.

SIGNAL.

APPLICATION flLED AUG- !0, l9l7.

Y Patented Apr. 1,1919

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INVENTOR E. L'. STORER.,

SIGNAL.

ABPLICATIQNFJLEQJAUG.10,-19II.

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/Q ATTORNEY EDWIN L. STORER, 0F TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

SIGNAL.

vSpecification of Letters. Patent. Y

Patented Apr..1, 1919.

vApplication led August 10, 1917. Serial No. 185,542.

by the operator thereof may set the signals` in any desired osition.

" Av primary o ject of my inventionl is to provide a signal of this class which may be easily and quickly operated and which consumes a minimum amount of energy. A further object of my invention is to provide an electric signalwhich is simple in construction and eilicientin operation.

With these and other objects in view which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention consists in fthe novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a signal embodying my invention2 Fig. 2 is a sectional View in front eleva-F tion, Q Fig. 3 is a sectional view in side elevation,

Fig. 4 is a horizontalv section on the line 4-4 of Fig.. 1, v

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the switch operating mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the same,

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line Fig. 8 is a diagrammatical view showing the wiring plan of the device.

Like characters of reference indicate like `parts in the various views.

shaft 5 is mounted for rotation in bearings formed in` the front ofthe casing and the bracket 4. The front end of the shaft 5 extends exteriorly of the casing, and a cylindrical casing 6, disposed at right 'angles to the shaft 5, is mounted upon said shaft by means of a laterally extending boss 7 formed near the upper end thereof. An end 8 is screw threaded into the lower end of the casing 6, and an electric light socket 9, of usual construction, is mounted upon the upper surface of said end within the casing, and an electric light globe 10 is mounted in said socket and extends upwardly therefrom.

vAn end 11 is screw threaded into the upper end of the casing 6 and has a centrally disposed aperture 12 formed therein, which lies vdirectly above the globe 10. A frame 13 is looped above the aperture 12 and has ears formed at the ends thereof, which are secured upon the upper surface of the end 11v on either side of the aperture 12 by means of screws 14. The frame 13 is disposed in line with the axis of the casing 6, andthe loop formed thereby is elongated and flares at the upper end thereof. A continuous longitudinal groove 15 is formed in the loop forming portion of the frame 13 and is disposed upon the opposing surfaces thereof, and the edges of a pair of oppositely disposed concave transparent members 16 areengaged by the groove 15 and form an inclosure, thelower portions of the members 16 being spaced apart at the center portions thereof and communicatin with the aperture 12 whereby the light of t e globe 10 enters the inclosure formed by the transparent members 16. The transparent members 16 may be colored, preferably red, and an arrow 17 is inscribed thereon in line with the axis' ofthe casing 6, as indicated. The hollow shaft 5 extends through the casing 6 into the `inclosure there through said shaft into the casing 1.

low shaft 5, and a gear 20 is rotatably mounted on said shaftand adapted to engage the surface of said disk with its web. A spring disk 21 is disposed upon said shaft Aand engages the opposite surface of the web of said gear with the outer edge thereof, said spring disk being dished rearwardly from the edges thereof, and a collar 22 is secured upon said shaft by means of a set screw 23 and is disposed at the rear of the spring disk 21 whereby the gear 20 may be held in frictional engagement with the disk 19. An electric motor 24 of usual construction is, mounted within the casing 1 and has the shaft 25 thereof extending at right angles to the shaft 5 and disposed below the same. vThe outer end of 95 A disk 19 is ixedly mounted upon the holthe shaft 25 is journaled in a bracket 26, and a worm 27 is formed upon said shaft and meshes with the teeth of the gear 20.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I have provided three signaling positions therefor, the (straight ahead) position bein indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, and the left) and (right turn) positions being indicated in dotted lines in the same figure. I have provided means for locking the signal vin its various signaling positions which will now be described. Fixedly mounted upon the shaft 5 in frontof the disk 19 is a locking disk 28 which has three slots 29 formed in the periphery thereof to correspond with each signaling position, as above noted. Secured upon the top of the casing 1 is a bracket 30, which extends downwardly and has a latch member 31 mounted therein adapted to engage any one of the slots 29, incident to the position of the signal. A spring 32 is mounted upon the bracket 30 and engages the latch member 31 to normally retain the same in engagement with the locking disk 28. An electromagnet 33 is mounted upon the adjacent end wall of the casing and the core thereof is disposed in alinement with the latch member 31. An armature 34 is mounted upon the latch member 31 and is disposed adjacent to the core of the electromagnet 33, the disposition of the parts being such that when the electromagnet 33 is energized it withdraws the latch member 31 from engagement with the locking disk 28 against the influence of the spring 32.

A bracket 35 is secured upon the bottom of the casing 1 and extends downwardly therefrom and terminates in a circular disk member 36 having one side thereof serrated. Another bracket 37 has a correspondingly serrated disk member 38 formed thereon and adapted to engage the disk member36, said disk members being secured together by means of a centrally disposed screw 39 threaded into the member`36 and engaging the disk member 38 with the headed end thereof. The -bracket 37 may be secured upon a motor car, and the signal adjusted by means of the screw 39 and the engaged disksvto assume a vertical position.

The actuations of the motor 34 and the electromagnet 33 are controlled as follows: Located in proXimity to the operator of the vehicle is a controlling switch 40 which comprises generally a casing 41 having a re-` movable cover 42, which isV located at the side of the casing, and a handle 43 adapted to swinging movement and lying above the top of the casing. A vertical shaft 44 has its lowerend journaled in the bottom of the casing, a flange 45 formed on said shaft engaging the upper surface of the bottom of the casing to prevent downward longitudinal movement of this shaft. A second vertical shaft 46 has its upper end jourlower end of the shaft 46 is angular in cross section, as designated at 48, and a disk 49 is mounted upon said angular portion for longitudinal sliding movement. A coil compression spring 50 encircles the shaft 46 above the disk 49, and a ange 51 is ixedly mounted upon the shaft 46 above said spring, l

the spring being of sufficient length to engage the flange 51 and the disk 49 with its respective ends to hold the disk 49 in frictional engagement with the disk 47. A switch arm 52 is mounted upon the shaft 46 and engages the lower surface of the top of the casing with the upper surface of 'its hub to prevent upward lateral movement ofthe shaft 46. The handle 43 is mounted upon the shaft- 46 above the top of the casing by means of a tapered pin 53. The switch arm 52 extends laterally from the shaft 46, and the outer end thereof is adapted to engage one of three contacts 54, 55 and 56 in the various positions thereof. Each of these contacts is mounted upon the side wall of the casing by means of bolts 57,4and insulated from' the walls of the casing by insulating blocks 58. The movement of the handle 43 is limited by means of two stops 59 formed upon the top of the casing and so ed upon the handle 43 and has a down-l wardly extending button formedupon the free end thereof whichis adapted to engage a depression 62 in the top ofthe casing when said switch arm is engaged with the contact 55.

A cylindrical insulating member 63 encircles the shaft 44 and is disposed between the disk 47 and the flange 45 and is secured upon said shaft by means of a tapered pin 64. A pair of switch arms 65 are fixedly mounted upon the insulated member 63 and extend laterally therefrom and are adapted to engage contacts 66, 67 and 68, the arms being so disposed relative to"each other that when one arm is in engagement with the contact 66 the other arm is in engagement with the contact 67, and when the first mentioned arm is in engagement with the contact 67 the second mentioned arm is in enllt ment thereof'is transmitted to the shaft 44,v

through the frictional engagement of the disks 47 and 49, and the switch arms 65 are moved to the opposite extremity of their paths of movement where the respective switch arm engages the respective stop 71 and the movement of the switch arm is stopped. lt will be noted at this point that the-amount of movement required of the shaft'4-4 to move the switch arms 6541-0111 engagement with one pair of contacts into engagement with another pair of contacts is less than the movement which is required of the switch arm 52 in moving the same from one of the contacts 54, 55 and 56 to another of said contacts, and after the initial reverse movement of the shaft 46 has moved the switch arms 65 to their disposed positions the disk 49 slips upon the disk 47 so that the shaft 46 maybe rotated further to properly engage the switcharm 52 with the selected contact thereof. v

Mounted upon the inner end of the shaft 5 are two commutators 72 and 73, which are engaged by respective spring contact blades 74 and 75 which are mounted upon the top of the casing 1. Both of the' commutators are semi-circular, and the commutator 72 has an insulated portion 76 located at the middle portion of the commutator, and the commutator 7 3 has two insulated portions 77 and 78 disposed at either end of the same. The conductive portions of the commutator 72 are in electrical communication with each other. The commutators 72 and 73 are so timed relative td the signal that when the signal is in its (straight ahead) or vertical position, as designated in Fig. 1, the contact 74 engages the insulated portion 76 thereby opening the circuit through the commutator 72, the contact 75 engaging the conductive portionv of the commutator 73 and closing the circuit through said commutator. When the signal is in either one of its (right) or (left turn) positions, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the contact 75 engages either one of the insulated portions 77 or 78, as the case may be, and the contact 74 engages the conductive portion of the commutator 72 whereby the circuit through the commutator 73 is open and the circuit through the commutator 72 is closed.

Referring to Fig. 8, 79 indicates the ield magnets of the motor, the same being of usual construction and requiring no further description for the present purposes. rll`he opposite terminals of the field magnets 79 are connected with respective switch arms 65 by conductors 81 and 82 respectively. The contacts 66 and 68 are connected to one brush of the motor by a branching conductor 83, and the opposite brush of the motor is connected tothe contact 67 by a conductor 84. By the above engagement, it will be noted that by moving the switch arms 65 to their diierent positions to engage di'erent pairs of the contacts 66, 67 and 68 the poles of the `field magnets 79 may be reversed relative to the commutator 80, and the motor may be reversed thereby: 85 designates a suitable source of electric energy, and a conductor 86 leads from one pole thereof to one brush of the commutator 80. A conductor 87 leads from the opposite pole of the source of energy 85 and communicates with the switch arm 52. It. will be noted at this point that the contact 55 is disposed between the contacts 54 and 56, and the switch arm 52 in passing from one of the contacts 54 or 56 to the other will pass over the contact55. A conductor 88 leads from the contact 55 to the contact 74 to `the commutator 72, and a branching conductor 89 leads from contacts 54 and 56 to the contact 75 of the commutator 73. Abranching conductor 90 leads from the commutators 72 and 73 to the brush of the commutator which lies opposite the brush to which the conductor 86 is connected. The opposite terminals of the electromagnet 33 are connected to respective brushes of the commutator 8O by conductors 91 and 92 respectively.

The position of the switch arms 52 and 65 in Fig. 8 are positioned to correspond with the vertical or (straight ahead) position ot the signal as shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to move the signal from this position to indicate a left turn the switch arm 55 is moved by means of the handle 43 toengage the Contact 54. rlhis closes the main circuit to the signal through the commutator 73 whereupon the motor starts rotating, and the electromagnet 33 is energized to withdraw the latch member 31 from engagement with the respective slot 29. As soon as the latch member 31 is withdrawn the signal is turned by the motor through the frictional engagementof the gear 20 with the disk 19. When the signal reaches its (left turn) position the insulated portion 77 of the commutator 73 engages the contact 75 and the circuit is opened, the electromagnet 33 being denergized thereby and allowing the latch member 31 to engage the proper slot 29, and the motor 24 discontinues its rotation. When it is desired to move the signal back to (straight ahead) position or to (right turn) position the switch arm 52 is moved back as vbefore described to engage leither the contact 55 or the contact 56. Upon thev initial reverse or backward movement of the switch arm 52 the frictional driving connection between'the shaft 416 and the shaft 44 rotates the switch arms 65 to the 4 right until the respective switch arm engages main circuit is completed through the comv mutator 72, the insulated portion 76 thereof being out of engagement with the contact 7 4. When the circuit is completed as above described the electromagnet 33 withdraws the latch member 31 and the motor 24 rotates in the opposite direction to bring the signal to (straight ahead) position. .If it is desired to maintain the signal in (straight ahead) position the switch arm 52 is moved in engagement with the contact 55 and the main circuit is opened as the insulated portion of the commutator 72 engages the contact 74. If it is desired to move the signal to (right turn) position the movement of the switch arm 52 is continued until it engages the contact 56, and 'when .the signal assumes the (right turn) position the insulated portion 78 of the commutator 73 will engage the contact 75 and the circuit through the commutator will be opened. It will be noted that in moving the signal from either left turn position to right turn position or from right turn position to left-,turn position, it is necessary to have the switch arm 52 momentarily engage the contact 55 to move the signal so that the contact 7 5 of the commutator 73 engages a conductive portion of the commutator, whereupon the switch arm 52 may be moved to the desired contact 54 and 56 and complete themain circuit through said commutator 73. In the operation of the device the mere passing of the vswitch arm 52 over the Contact 55 will accomplish this and it requires no attention on the part of the operator.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim y 1. In a device of Ithe character described, the combination with a movably mounted signal, electroresponsive means having operable connection therewith and adapted to move the same in either direction, a pole changing switch connected with said electroresponsive means and adapted to control the direction of the movement of the same, a main circuit including said electroresponsive means, commutatore connected with said main circuit and having gaps therein adapted to open said'main circuit, the gaps of each of the said commutatore" being spaced to open the circuit therethrough when the circuit through another of said commutators is closed, and a-multi-point switch in said malin circuit adapted fto close the same through another one of said commutatore.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a movably mounted signal, electroresponsive means having connection therewith and adapted to move the same in either direction, a pole changing switch connected with said electroresponsive means and adapted to control the direction of the movements of the same, a .main circuit including said electroresponsive means, commutators connected in parallel in said main circuit and having gaps therein adapt- -ed to open said main circuit, the gaps of each of the said commutatorsbeing spaced to open the circuit therethrough when the circuit through another of vsaid commutators is closed, and electroresponsive means in operl able relation with said signal and connected in parallel with said first mentioned electroresponsive means, and in series` with all of said commutatore, and a multi-point switch in said main circuit adapted to close the circuit through any one of said commutators.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a movably mounted signal, electroresponsive means having operable connection therewith and adapted to move the same in either direction, a pole responsive means and adapted to control the direction of the movement of the same, a main circuit including said electroresponsive means, commutators connected in parallel in said main circuit and having gaps therein adapted to open said main circuit, the gaps of each of the said commutators being spaced to open the circuit therethrough when the circuit through 4another of said commutatore is closed, a mult-point switch in said main circuit adapted to close the same through any one of said commutators, and means having operable connection with said pole changmg switch and said multi-point switch, said means being adapted to operate said pole changing switch to reverse the direc- Achanging switch connected with said electrotion of said electroresponsive means to move the signal to the desired position.

4. In a device of the character described,y the combination with a movably mounted responsive means and `adapted to control` the direction of the movement of the same, a main circuit including said electroresponsive means, commutatore connected in parallel in said main circuit and having gaps therein adapted to open said main circuit, the gaps of each of the said commutatore being spaced vto open the vcircuit therethrough' when the l circuit through another of said commutators is closed, a multi-point switch in said main circuit adapted to close the same through any one of said commutators, and means having a fixed driving connection with said multipoint switch for moving the same to its various positions, and a sllp driving connection between said means and said pole changing switch whereby said pole changing switch is operated to reverse the direction of said elec- A changing switch connected with said electro- I troresponsive means upon the initial reverse y movement of said means. Y

5. In -a device of the character described, the vcombination with a movably mounted signal, electroresponsive means having operable connection therewith and adapted to move the same in either direction, a pole responsive means and adapted to control the v.direction of the movement of ithe'same, a

mam jclrcuit'lncludmg sald electroresponsive I means, commutators connected in parallel with each otherin said main circuit and having gaps therein adapted to open said l circuit, the gaps of each of rthe said commu- Y tators being spaced to open the circuit therethrough when the circuit through another of said com mutators vis closed and so disposed that the main circuit is open through alternate commutators as the signal is moved from one end of its moves toy another, a multi-point switch in said main circuit adapted to close the same through any o ne of said commutators,and having the contact points thereof arranged to close the c1rcuit through said commutators 1n the same alternate order as said switch is moved from one end of its operable movement to the` other, means having a fixed driving connection with said multi-point switch for mov- 

